freshman

/ˈfreʃmən/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfreʃmən/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfresh-mən/ (ame, mw)

freshman — noun

  • freshmansingular
  • freshmenplural

1. a person in their first year of study at an educational institution such as a hi

1.名詞A2
釋義

a person in their first year of study at an educational institution such as a high school or university

例句

Lien felt nervous on her first day as a freshman at National Taiwan University.

clause structure: as a freshman at [institution]

The school runs a special orientation week to help freshmen settle in.

plural: freshmen; collocation: orientation week

同義詞
  • first-year student

    neutral term used in both US and UK English; 'freshman' is more casual and US-specific

  • fresher

    informal British term for a first-year university student; not used in the US

反義詞
  • senior

    a student in the fourth and final year of high school or college

文法句型

freshman + noun (e.g. freshman year, freshman class)

用法筆記

This term is used mainly in the US education system. Equivalent terms in British English are 'first-year student' or 'fresher' (informal). The plural is 'freshmen'. Also commonly used as an adjective in phrases like 'freshman year' and 'freshman class'.

常見錯誤

❌I am a freshman student.
✅I am a freshman.
💡'freshman' already means a first-year student; adding 'student' is redundant.
❌He is a freshman in high school.' (acceptable but less natural)
✅He is a freshman in high school.' ✅ 'He is a high school freshman.
💡both are common; the latter sounds more natural in US English.

2. a person who is new to a particular job, sport, or activity and is still learnin

2.名詞B1
釋義

a person who is new to a particular job, sport, or activity and is still learning the basics

例句

Hamza joined the company as a freshman programmer and learned from senior developers.

collocation: freshman [role] — as an adjective before a job title

Adisa was the only freshman on the city council and asked senior members for guidance.

同義詞
  • beginner

    the most neutral and widely used term for someone new to an activity

  • newcomer

    emphasises that the person has just arrived in a group or place

  • novice

    slightly more formal; often used in sports or training contexts

  • rookie

    informal; very common in sports and law enforcement

反義詞
  • veteran

    someone with long experience in a field

  • expert

    someone with advanced knowledge or skill

文法句型

freshman + noun (e.g. freshman politician)

用法筆記

This sense is less common than the academic meaning and is often used figuratively. It can sound informal. 'Newcomer' or 'beginner' are more neutral alternatives. Frequently appears as an adjective before a job title (e.g., 'freshman senator', 'freshman legislator').

常見錯誤

❌She is a freshman to this job.
✅She is a freshman in this job.' or 'She is new to this job.
💡use 'in', not 'to', when specifying the domain.